The objective of the symposium is to bring together scholars and practitioners to exchange both innovative multidisciplinary and integrated research outcomes and successful extension and development approaches.
Another aim of the conference is to present and discuss the research results of "The Uplands Programme" and compare these with the experiences and scientific analyses from other regions.
Emphasis will be placed on research results and development experiences that contribute to:
• developing sustainable production and land use systems with increased productivity in ecologically fragile, economically disadvantaged and socio-culturally complex mountainous regions;
• identifying viable concepts for rural institutions, food processing and marketing that can reduce rural poverty and food insecurity in mountainous areas; and
advancing methods for analysing complex ecosystems and their interactions with the socio-cultural, economic and institutional environment.